The problems with
urinals
Urine is not the culprit
Surprisingly, urine itself is not the main source of the problem. Urine is
almost 98% water, mild in odour and is usually sterile.
The problems begin when bacteria bind with the solids found in urine.
The offensive smell we associate with urinals occurs when faecal bacteria
digest uric proteins to give off toxic ammonia-based gases. Humans have a
poor tolerance to the smell of ammonia, even at low concentrations.
Washrooms are covered with bacteria originating from faecal matter. Faecal
bacteria become airborne when toilets are flushed. Eventually, bacteria
settle on washroom surfaces and form bacterial colonies wherever there is a
wet or damp environment, a food source, and protection from direct light.
A flushing urinal provides precisely these conditions.
Naturally, hygiene suffers in a wet washroom. The flushing mechanisms of
urinals, for example, readily transfer pathogens to hands and spread
infection.
Desert™ Cubes use microbial technology
to interfere with the bacterial digestion that produces unpleasant odours,
and the Desert ™Cube System contributes to better hygiene by turning your
existing trough or bowl facilities into a touch-free waterless urinal.
Water creates an ideal environment for bacteria
Excessive flushing creates permanently damp surfaces on which bacterial
colonies grow. The huge volume of water used to flush urinals adds to the
problem by depositing calcium, salt, silica and lime scale (water scale).
Water scale coats fledgling bacterial colonies in a protective shell. Like a
coral formation, bacteria and water scale continue to build up until they
form virtually insoluble lumps of uric scale, which is the chief source of
offensive odours in urinals. Uric scale also creates unsightly stains and
can grow large enough to block pipes.
The presence of both faecal bacteria and urine solids is unavoidable in a
washroom, as is the presence of dark areas like drains. However, Desert™
Waterless Urinal Cubes can disrupt the process of uric scale formation by
reducing water usage dramatically.
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